Aircraft Energy Level Display for Continuous Descent
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft lack visual cues for flight crews to manage off-path or off-speed situations during continuous descent approaches, making it difficult to maintain optimal energy levels, with existing systems only providing cues for above-path or above-speed situations.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that processes flight plan and aircraft data to determine and display the optimized aircraft energy level, comparing it to the actual energy level in real-time, and providing visual cues to the flight crew on how to converge the actual energy level towards the optimal level, using a processor and display device to render images indicating deviations and trends.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If continuous descent approach is implemented to reduce fuel consumption and noise, then energy efficiency is improved, but the ability to provide visual cues for off-path or off-speed situations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback system that continuously monitors actual aircraft energy level against optimized energy level and provides visual cues to the flight crew. The system calculates energy level deviation and displays it on the display device, enabling the crew to see when the aircraft deviates from the optimal descent path and what corrective actions are needed. This feedback loop resolves the contradiction by maintaining the fuel-efficient continuous descent approach while adding the necessary visual guidance that was previously missing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary system between the aircraft's flight management system and the flight crew. This intermediary processor computes the optimized energy level based on flight plan data, compares it with actual energy level from aircraft data, and generates visual cues through a display device. This intermediary layer resolves the contradiction by translating complex energy management calculations into simple, actionable visual information for the crew, enabling efficient operation without increasing operational complexity.
2Loss of information
If existing mid-term awareness cues are used for above-path or above-speed situations, then partial situational awareness is improved, but coverage of mixed off-nominal situations such as above-path/under-speed deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal energy level monitoring system that handles all types of off-nominal situations through a single integrated approach. Unlike existing systems that provide separate cues for specific situations (above-path, above-speed), this system calculates a comprehensive energy level deviation that applies to all mixed situations including above-path/under-speed, below-path/above-speed, and other combinations. The display device presents unified visual information that adapts to any deviation scenario, making the system versatile across all off-nominal conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method of displaying optimized aircraft energy level to a flight crew includes processing flight plan data, in a processor, to determine the optimized aircraft energy level along a descent profile of the aircraft from cruise altitude down to aircraft destination, and continuously processing aircraft data, in the processor, to continuously determine, in real-time, an actual aircraft energy level. The actual aircraft energy level of the aircraft is continuously compared, in the processor, to the optimized aircraft energy level. The processor is use to command a display device to render an image that indicates: (i) the optimized aircraft energy level, (ii) how the actual aircraft energy level differs from the optimized aircraft energy level, and (iii) how the actual aircraft energy level is trending relative to the optimized aircraft energy level.